H.S. FOOTBALL: Sacred Heart dominates in victory

The host Saints explode for five touchdowns in the first half on their way to a 35-8 Mayflower Comprehensive victory over Holbrook/Avon on Saturday.

By Scott Roche, Enterprise Correspondent

Coaches put trust in their seniors to make decisions on the football field, and Sacred Heart coach TJ Byrne had that work out in the favor of the Saints on Saturday afternoon.

Facing and fourth-and-2 from their own 38 on the game’s opening drive, Saints senior punter Peter Beuttel pulled down the snap and went down the left sideline for a 24-yard run on a fake punt. That play set the tone of a first half that saw the Saints use the momentum to explode for five touchdowns on their way to a 35-8 Mayflower Comprehensive victory over Holbrook/Avon.

“It’s nice to be able to trust your players,’’ said Byrne. “(Beuttel) is a senior captain that uses a rugby-style punt that leaves him with three options. I trust him to make the right option and that decision was all his. It turned the momentum to us as you don’t see too many momentum swings early in the game, but it gave us the ball back. It’s senior leadership and senior experience that takes you through a situation like that.’’

Four plays after Beuttel’s fake punt, Sacred Heart got on the scoreboard when freshman quarterback Hunter Wardwell dropped back and found a wide-open Kevin Ferhm in the end zone. Beuttel’s extra point gave the Saints a 7-0 lead.

Sacred Heart forced a fumble on the Bulldogs’ first possession and Peter Pioppi recovered the ball at the Saints’ 42.

Wardwell and Ferhm again connected for a touchdown on a 22-yard completion. Beuttel’s extra point made it 14-0 Sacred Heart with 2:23 left in the first quarter.

“You take what the defense gives you,’’ Byrne said. “(Holbrook/Avon) had 11 guys up in the box and they were determined to take away our run game. We haven’t thrown the ball a lot in our first few games, but it’s something we work on in practice. Hunter had pressure on the edge on both plays and he avoided it and was able to step up and make the throw.’’

Sacred Heart increased its lead to 21-0 in the second quarter on a 45-yard touchdown run by Beuttel and his third extra point.

Beuttel then took over on defense as he picked off a pass and returned it 37 yards to the Bulldogs’ 36. After a sack on first down, sophomore Joseph Krochko ripped off a 46-yard run to the Holbrook/Avon 1-yard line. Krochko finished the drive on the next play with a touchdown run and a 28-0 Saints lead.

The Saints forced another Bulldogs turnover late in the second quarter when Pioppi intercepted a pass at the Sacred Heart 45 with 51 seconds left in the first half.

Krochko wasted little time finding the end zone on the next play for a 55-yard touchdown and 35-0 Sacred Heart halftime lead.

“Our experience is in our offensive line with juniors and seniors,’’ said Byrne. “You saw the push in our offensive line today to get our backs going and allowing them to get into space and make things happen.’’

Holbrook/Avon (0-4) avoided the shutout in the fourth quarter when quarterback Jacque Parent connected with Marcken Legends for a 7-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. Aidan Centeno caught the two-point conversion pass for the Bulldogs.

Sacred Heart will head to Nantucket on Friday to face the Whalers with the top spot in the Mayflower Comprehensive on the line.

“Nantucket is the best team we will have faced this year and they are a different animal,’’ said Byrne. “They are physical and big. For us, we talk about maturing as a team and a program and this gives us the opportunity with a bus ride, then a boat ride, then another bus ride once you get there. Nantucket is the best team in our league and it gives us chance to see where we are at.’’

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